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Thursday, July 30, 2015

Today, it is my pleasure to interview Regan Walker, the author of the historical romance novel To Tame the Wind. Read on and don't forget to check out the rest of the tour schedule on the bottom of the post.

About To Tame the Wind

Publication Date: May 9, 2015
CreateSpace
eBook; 294p

Series: Agents of the Crown (Prequel)
Genre: Historical Romance

Paris 1782…AN INNOCENT IS TAKEN

All Claire Donet knew was the world inside the convent walls in
Saint-Denis. She had no idea her beloved papa was a pirate. But when he
seized Simon Powell’s schooner, the English privateer decided to take
the one thing his enemy held most dear… her.

A BATTLE IS JOINED

The waters between France and England roil with the clashes of
Claire’s father and her captor as the last year of the American
Revolution rages on the sea, spies lurk in Paris and Claire’s passion
for the English captain rises.

Author Interview with Regan Walker

Hi Regan, it is such a pleasure to have you here today!

Tell us a bit about your latest work.
What was your inspiration for it?

After I
finished my Agents of the Crown trilogy, set in the Regency period, I thought
it would be interesting to tell the story of the parents of the heroes in books
2 and 3, Claire Donet and Capt. Simon Powell. So I did… in a prequel, To Tame the Wind. Since their love was
born out of the American Revolution as played out in London, Paris and the
English Channel, there was a lot of history to draw upon. It’s set in 1782, the
last year of the Revolution, and features a French pirate, an English privateer
and spies lurking in both England and France. Oh and did I mention there are
ships?

What is your favorite historical
period to write about and why? Favorite historical location?

So far, it
might be the late 18th century, the period in which To Tame the Wind is set. But now that
I’m writing Rogue Knight, book 2 in
my Medieval Warriors series, I love being back in England in the 11th
century. As for location, it would be difficult to compete with London and
Paris but I do love Scotland and have a series in mind set in Skye and the
Isles, beginning in the 12th century.

You mention in your bio that you traveled a lot and you love meeting new people. What are your favorite places
to travel to?

The South
Pacific is an amazing place… Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and all the island
countries. But I also love Europe, particularly the older parts. Last year I
returned for the 3rd time to the Highlands of Scotland and loved
diving into the deep past of that wonderful country with its proud heritage. I
have a Pinterest board from my trip you might like to see: https://www.pinterest.com/reganwalker123/regans-trip-to-the-western-highlands-of-scotland-s/.

I ask this question of all the
authors I have a chance to interview. What is your advice for aspiring writers?

I think it’s
important to read in the genre they want to write in to get a sense of the
storytelling and what you want your style to be. I like books with real history
in them, the deeper ones. And that is what I want to write, too. I also suggest
finishing their first book (at least) and then get some critical eyes on it… a
critique group, a beta reader. If you like being in control, you might prefer
being an Indie. I began with a publisher but I’m happy as an Indie now.

If you could have dinner with one
historical figure, who would it be?

Probably Sir
Winston Churchill. But William Wilberforce and the Apostle Paul are also
favorites.

I saw a number of great recipes on
your website. Can you share a recipe with the blog readers?

I would love to. How about Ginger Carrot Soup from To Tame the Wind? This is the soup the Irish
cook, McGinnes, served (with Claire's help) onboard the Fairwinds just before they sailed
for London. Simon was surprised to see soup as they did not typically have soup
onboard the ship and he was skeptical as McGinnes was new at his craft.
McGinnes' soup turned out to be a hit and, being as Claire is French, of course
it was made with cream.

Heat oil (or butter) in
heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook,
stirring often until onions are translucent and limp. Add broth, carrots and
ginger. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are
tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a blender.
Working in batches, pulse at first, then puree the mixture. Be sure to release
one corner of the lid to avoid creating a vacuum. You can also place a towel
over the top of the blender.

Return soup to saucepan and add half & half or cream. Stir over medium
until hot. Add salt and pepper to taste and cinnamon (optional). Mix in ground
cinnamon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing, thinning with more
stock if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls.

“I was hooked from the first page! Political intrigue, a bit of
mystery and a beautifully developed romance that swept me from Paris to
London and to the waters of the English Channel! Very, very, very well
done!” –The Reading Cafe

About the Author

Bestselling author Regan Walker loved to write stories as a child,
particularly those about adventure-loving girls, but by the time she got
to college more serious pursuits took priority. One of her professors
encouraged her to pursue the profession of law, which she did. Years of
serving clients in private practice and several stints in high levels of
government gave her a love of international travel and a feel for the
demands of the “Crown” on its subjects. Hence her romance novels often
involve a demanding sovereign who taps his subjects for “special
assignments.” And in each of her novels, there is always real history
and real historic figures. Regan lives in San Diego with her golden
retriever, Link, whom she says inspires her every day to relax and smell
the roses.

To
escape the cruel, overbearing, Kade, the Yukon Pack alpha she’s been
promised to, Bailey Whitehill flees her home in search of a new life,
one of freedom where she can make her own choices. However, Kade will
stop at nothing to make her his and begins the hunt.

As Bailey
starts her new life, everything she’s known to be true, is not. Time is
of the essence and choices have to be made or consequences suffered. Not
only does Bailey fear Kade, but another danger lurks deep in the
recesses of the forest. Unbeknownst to her, that danger is what she’s
been searching for all along. At the turn of the moon, her fate hangs in
the balance . . . and it’s up to her to make the right choice.

New
York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, L.P. Dover, is a southern
belle residing in North Carolina along with her husband and
two beautiful girls. Before she even began her literary journey she
worked in Periodontics enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.

Not only
does she love to write, but she loves to play tennis, go on mountain
hikes, white water rafting, and you can't forget the passion for
singing. Her two number one fans expect a concert each and every night
before bedtime and those songs usually consist of Christmas carols.

Aside
from being a wife and mother, L.P. Dover has written over nine novels
including her Forever Fae series, the Second Chances series, and
her standalone novel, Love, Lies, and Deception. Her favorite genre to
read is romantic suspense and she also loves writing it. However, if she
had to choose a setting to live in it would have to be with her faeries
in the Land of the Fae.

Friday, July 17, 2015

As you know, I'm always on the lookout for artists that awe and inspire me. In the past year, I have joined many art FB groups and forums, and had the pleasure of meeting many incredible artists. One of these is a remarkable young lady, Alexandra Miron. It is such a pleasure to have Alexandra on the blog today! I will let her answer a few questions and then I hope you enjoy some of her work. She primarily draws in pencil and pen. Enjoy!

When did you start drawing?I started when I was 10 or 11, I was spending the summer holidays at my grandparents and I was drawing from some history books. But I stopped drawing for a while and 3 years ago when I joined deviantart, I started to dedicate more time to drawing.

Did you have instruction somewhere and did you learn on your own?When I was 11-12 I went to some drawing classes, then at 22 I was thinking to study art in the university (I studied first foreign languages: Portuguese and Greek, in 2007 I earned my degree) so I took 3 or 4 classes, but then I took a study scholarship in Greece, so again I gave up on drawing. And in 2010 I ended up in Cyprus. Since then I am working in a 4 star hotel as a receptionist and I draw in the mornings, before I go to work (most of the time I work from 15 to 23 hours, late shift) and I work 6 days a week, so not too much time for drawing.

Autoportrait. Pencil

What is your inspiration?My inspiration...I study on my own history of art...I admire all the artists, and I admit I am not too much into modern art...I mean, I love romantic, Gothic, renaissance, baroque, romantique, neoclassicist, impressionist and symbolic art...but the 1900's art...not a huge fan, although there are a few like Tamara de Lempicka or Dali that I like...

What are the media that you draw/paint with?I draw in pencil, using between 2 and 8B, and lately, I am trying to master the ballpoint pen.

What advice would you give to aspiring artists?My advice to aspiring artists would be: hard work and don't give up on your dreams.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Will loves Kyra, but he know he can never be with her. He is Guardjinn and she is Djinn. Their love is forbidden.
He has a duty to his people. Will is a palace guard and after the Blooders attacked he is needed more than ever.
Will knows he should stay away from Kyra, but then why does he keep ending up at her house, watching her from a distance?

Laura Catherine is Young Adult author focusing on Paranormal Romance, Dystopia, and Fantasy.

She writes
stories full of action, secrets, and magic. She loves creating worlds
where anything is possible and everyone has a story to tell. She has an
over-active imagination, spends a lot of her time daydreaming, and
wishes pokemon were real so she would have one.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Colette had known all her life that she was half human and half
werewolf. She had no expectations of a life filled with love and
adventure.

Everything changed on her 21st birthday. A curse casted by witches
centuries ago set things in motion, things she could have never
imagined. A past that Colette has no clue about has come back to steal
her away.

When Hunter, her destined but very unexpected mate, arrives, she is
at a complete loss. She must learn to forget an old love and how to make
room for a new love.

The curse is being recast and Colette must stop it in order to save the wolves, all the while finding who she really is.

Hunter tight black pants. I could see
the contours of his strong, thick thighs. My eyes trailed up he was wearing the
gray shirt that I had stolen from him when he left.

Hunter leaned against his motorcycle. He
held bulky black helmet with an open face. When I looked up at his eyes, I saw
the smile there.

“No. No way,” I stuttered and backed
away from him. While my tone was light, a touch of fear and excitement rushed
through me.

“Yes,” Hunter moved quickly and stood in
front of me in the matter of seconds.

“This is pay back, isn’t it?”

“I thought all girls had a motorcycle
fetish? Hoping for that bad boy with a bike,” Hunter said with a half-smile. He
was enjoying this entirely too much.

“No, most girls are stupid and don’t
realize those things are death traps. And I shudder to think how many bugs will
meet their untimely demise in my mouth!”

Hunter raised his eyebrows at me and held
the helmet hovering over my head.

“You’re part wolf and you’re with me.
I’m your mate. I’d never do anything that would put you in danger.”

“Fine,” I grumbled. “Still doesn’t solve
the bug problem.”

Hunter placed the bulky helmet on my
head and moved to snap the clasp beneath my chin. I lifted my head up for him.
When I looked into his eyes, I saw the contentment in them. His beard was
trimmed. For me? How nice. I watched as
the lines in his face soften as he worked.

“If you keep looking at me like that
I’ll never finish.”

His eyes flickered up to mine and a
blush stole across my cheeks. I was paying too much attention to his lips and I
forgot everything else. It felt silly, seeing how much time I’d spent with him,
but butterflies took flight in my stomach. My nerves felt like they were on
fire.

AUTHOR BIO:

Becca
Vincenza lives in wonderful Michigan. She has a love for Skittles,
rainbows, Star Wars, and reading about hot men. When she's
not wearing her author hat, she's working to pay off her student loans
for her recently acquired English degree.

She recently released the first book in her Rebirth Series and is set to release the second book before the beginning of summer.